The Nigeria Labour Congress Leadership Crisis - NLC

The crisis rocking the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) deepened on Wednesday, as the Joe Ajaero-led faction of the union has accused the Edo State Governor and former President of NLC, Adams Oshiomhole, of partisanship and clear alignment with a  faction rather than fostering peace.

According to Ajaero,the Edo State governor was unduly politicising labour union activities and deviating from his role as a past labour leader.

At an interactive forum with journalists in Abuja on Wednesdayday on the efforts made by the past leaders to reconcile aggrieved members of the union following the outcome of the election in which Ayuba Wabba was declared winner,  Ajaero said it was unfortunate and highly disappointing that Oshiomhole had not played the role of a veteran in the matter.

He lauded efforts of some labour veterans especially the first president of NLC, Hassan Sunmonu, second president,  Ali Ciroma, founding president of electricity workers union, Ero Philips, and other past leaders, saying the resolution on the reconciliation meeting of April 21 would have been adopted if not the alleged disruption of the process by the governor.

He said, “ We could have adopted these resolutions but for the unhelpful, divisive and partial role of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. The Comrade Governor was expected at the historic reconciliatory meeting as former President of NLC.

“We were surprised that on the contrary, he fixed a dubious courtesy call on Ayuba-led (Ayuba Wabba) group at the NLC Secretariat at the same time without the courtesy of informing his elder veterans.

“Indeed, it was clear he meant to mischievously disrupt the reconciliation meeting as Comrade Wabba had to abandon the meeting to welcome him. It is a sign of disrespect on the part of the Comrade Governor and even Comrade Ayuba Wabba to have scheduled a courtesy call for whatever reason at the date and time respected labour leaders were meeting to proffer solutions to the crisis in the movement.”

Reacting to Tuesday’s courtesy visit on Wabba, where Oshiomhole alleged that some of the candidates that contested in the 11th Delegate Conference were bad losers, Ajaero flanked by Issa Aremu, Igwe Achese among others said the governor himself was an inconsistent bad mediator.

He said: “We are also surprised at some statements credited to the Comrade Governor which unfortunately showed Adams deviating from the time honoured path of Comradeship and statesmanship.

“He gave a false impression of us as bad losers when indeed he is an inconsistent bad mafia. It is interesting that Comrade Adams urged us to emulate President Goodluck Jonathan who conceded in a free and fair presidential election and not him who refused to concede when he was callously rigged out during the governorship election in 2007.

“All the members of labour movement supported and stood with him in solidarity to get justice for his stolen mandate. What is good for Comrade Adams is good for other comrades including us.

“We expected him as a highly respected labour leader and Comrade Governor to be part of the effort to promote peace and reconciliation within the NLC and not to be seen as being partisan, divisive, pretending there are no problems in the movement”.